Automobile heater structure



AUTOMOBILE HEATER STRUCTURE Fil ed April 17, 1957 .675 U] fieaerlu arrce.

Patented Jan. 17, 1939 V a UNITED STATES 2,144,506, v r v AUTOMOBILE HEATER STRUCTURE, 1 1

Elbert L. Potter, Buffalo, N. Y., assignor toHoude I; Engineering Corporation, Buffalo; N. Y; a corporation of ,New York Application April 17, 1937, sciatica. 137,413 r r V 1 Claim (o1.25v- '1 My invention relates to heaters for automotive vehicles and an improved method for installation of the same. The invention concerns particu-' larly heater structures in which the heating element is the exhaust gas from the vehicle engine, with the heat of the gases conducted to the heat conveying element such as air which is conducted to the vehicle to be heated. This type of heater usually is interposed in the exhaust line between the engine exhaust manifold and the muffler.

A desirable location for the heater is directly adjacent to the entrance end of the muffler so that the exhaust gases, after traversing the heater, may flow directly into the muflier.

An important object of the invention is, therefore, to provide an arrangement in which a section of the exhaust piping in advance of the muiiler may be readily removed or sawed out to make way for the heater.

A further object is to so construct the heater frame that its oneend maybe slipped over the entrance end of the mufiler body and the other end may be connected with the piping extending from the engine manifold.

Referring to the drawing,

Figure 1 shows part of a standard type of automobile mufiler and piping extending therefrom which would ordinarily connect the engine exhaust manifold with the muflier, and indicating a portion of the piping to be cut out for accommodating the heater; and

Figure 2 is a side elevation showing the heater structure interposed and to take the place of the cut out piping.

On the drawing, I have shown a standard type of muffler l0 comprising a cylindrical body having at its inlet end the header H with the inlet neck or nipple l2 extending outwardly therefrom for receiving the end of piping P extending from the engine exhaust manifold. For the purpose of inserting the heater structure H shown in Figure 2, the piping P between the dotted cross lines X and Y in Figure 1, is removed or cut out.

The heater shown comprises inlet and outlet header structures designated generally by A and B. The inlet header A comprises the header wall or disk l3 and the conical head frame l4 terminating in a pipe receiving neck or nipple IS, the header wall and frame being secured together at their peripheral portion as by welding.

The outlet header structure B is a cylindrical shell or sleeve l6 of suitable sheet metal having the header wall or disk I! at its inlet end, and this wall may be integral with the shell or in the form of a separate element welded thereto. The

heads l3 and I! have openings for receiving the ends of the flues l8 which are secured to. the Walls as by brazing or welding. A small distance inwardly on the header Walls I3 and, I'I, header walls or disks l9 and 26 receive the flues and are secured in the opposite ends of a cylindrical wall or shell 2i to form therewith an air chamber 22 having an inlet nipple 23 and an outlet nipple 24, the inlet nipple being adapted for connection with means for propelling air through the chamber 22, such as a blower, and the outlet nipple 2 3 being adapted for connection with piping for conducting the heated air to the automobile to be heated. The flues may have spiral elements 25 therein for more uniform distribution of the exhaust gases flowing through the flues and for directing them into more intimate contact with the fluewalls around which the air circulates. Fin plates 26 may also be mounted on the flues to distribute the air flow more uniformly around the flues and to afford additional radiation surface so that sumcient heating of the air will be accomplished.

A distance outwardly of the flue header H, the outlet shell [6 is radially expandedlto provide an internal shoulder 21, the outer portion [6 of the shell being of an internal diameter so it may be slipped over the end of the body of the muffler It), with the end of the muffler abutting the shoulder 21. The inlet nipple I5 for the heater is of a diameter to receive the piping P after the section between the lines X and Y of Figure 1 have been removed or cut out of the piping.

Preferably, the out along the line X is made close to the end of the muffler body so that when the heater has been slipped over the mufiler body end, the exhaust gases may more readily flow into the muffler through the nipple opening 28, the muflier header walls H, the heater flue header wall ll, and the surrounding shell l6, then forming a collecting chamber 28 for receiving the exhaust gases from the heater and from which the gases flow through the opening 28 for passage through the mufiler.

After the heater has been interposed in the exhaustline, its outlet header shell is secured to the muflier as by suitable clamps 30, and the inlet nipple l5 may be secured to the end of the piping P by suitable clamp means 3|. When thus interposed in the exhaust line, the heater structure and the muflier are intimately associated, the exhaust gases after leaving the heater flowing directly into the muflier instead of first being required to flow through the piping. The heater will also serve as a primary retarding and mufiling means for the exhaust gases whose flow is finally mufiled during passage through the mufller structure.

Where the automobile manufacturer does not install a heater as part of the car equipment, he can leave sufficient space in front of the muffler for installation of my improved heater by accessory dealers. The car manufacturer might provide a separate length of piping at the mufller which could be readily removed when it is to be replaced by the heater, or he could leave the piping leading to the mufiler of sufiicient length so that a section thereof could becut out for replacement by the heater.

I have shown a practical embodiment of the various features of my invention and I do not desire to be limited to the exact construction;

arrangement, and operation as shown and described, as changes and modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the invention.

I claim as follows:

In combination, an automobile engine mufiler having a cylindrical body with a header at its inlet end provided with an inlet passageway, an automobile heater comprising inlet and outlet headers with fiues extending therebetween and surrounded by walls providing a chamber for the flow of air to be heated before delivery to the automobile, the heater inlet header being adapted for connection with the exhaust pipe from the automobile engine, the heater outlet header being circular and having a cylindrical wall extending therefrom and of the same diameter as the header and expanded to a larger diameter at its outer portion for telescopically receiving the inlet end of the mufiier body and to provide an annular internal shoulder for engaging with the muffler end whereby to limit the telescopic engagement of said cylindrical wall with said mufiler body to thereby define a collecting chamber of predetermined capacity between the outlet header of the heater, and the inlet header of the mufiler for the collection and expansion of the gases from the heater flue before flow thereof through the mufiler inlet header. passageway to the muffler body.

ELBERT L. POTTER. 

